BOTP Script: Attack of the Space Beetle
by UnpublishedWriter
Summary: My own contribution to a challenge I made at Gatchamania: turn an unused Gatchaman episode into a BOTP script. I had to do it this way.


[Editor's note: the following first draft script by Arthur Hack was found after his disappearance. It is reproduced here, more or less verbatim, for the first time.]

Attack of the Space Beetle

_(Establishing shot of Center Neptune_._)_

Zark (VO)

Here at Center Neptune, 900 fathoms beneath the sea, we keep constant watch for threats from other galaxies. I constantly monitor the universe for unusual activity that might be caused by hostile planets.

_(Cut to shot of nighttime desert and a placid lake.)_

Zark (VO)

This is the planet Sehera, located in Cassiopeia. All seems to be peaceful, but we can't be too careful.

_(As Zark voice-over continues, the lake waters start to swirl and quickly drain away.)_

Oh my, someone or something is stealing all the water! Who would do such a thing?

_(Cut to bad, add-on animation of Zark in his operating center. He frantically pokes at the same console as every other episode in which there's a crisis. The same block-patterns appear, also.)_

Zark

I must recalibrate my link-modulated electro-scanners to find the culprits. But if past experience is any guide, we'll find out that our enemies from Planet Spectra are involved.

[Note in margins: 'Can't we just write, 'scanners'?]

_(Daytime scene on Sehera. Blue water bubbles and swirls and drains away. Then the space beetle forces its way out of the sand, kicking up great clouds of it in a sandy whirlwind before digging its way back down under cover. During this, we hear Zark in voice-over.)_

Zark (VO)

Oh, no! Another lake is being stolen. Wait, I can see the culprit. It's a giant beetle. Spectra _is_ behind this evil! I must contact G-Force immediately.

_(Badly-drawn ready room sequence, as usual, complete with Tiny losing his Spaceburger to an errant ping-pong ball.)_

Tiny

Hey, watch it!

Mark

Sorry, Tiny. I tripped.

_(Before things can go any further, Zark calls them. Butt-shot line-up of G-Force as Zark appears on the screen.)_

Zark

Team, I have detected enemy activity on the planet Sehera. Someone is stealing all the water. According to my sensors, the culprits are from Spectra. Your mission is to go to Sehera and find whoever is responsible for the water thefts.

_(Cut to more add-on animation of G-Force saluting and the floor dropping out from beneath them.)_

All

G-Force!

_(Stock footage of the Phoenix launching, followed by Solar System footage, then deep-space travel montage. End at chocolate-turtle planet.)_ [Note scrawled here: 'Can we get a different planet?']

_(Cut to shots of the G1 flying in the sky, with a ground-shot of jungle and river; G2 driving through a desert area; G3 driving over grass; G4 flying through tropical forest; and G5 over desert. Zark voice-over during all of this.)_

Zark (VO)

G-Force is searching all of Sehera for the beetle-spaceship that's been stealing the water.

_(Cut to Mark in the G1 cockpit, looking out of the window.)_

Mark (thinking)

Why does Spectra want this world's water?

_(Chirping sound from bracelet.)_

Mark

Ears on, Zark. What news?

Zark

Nothing on my end. How about you?

Mark

So far, nothing. None of the others has reported seeing anything suspicious.

Zark

You should talk to the local people, Mark. They know who belongs and who doesn't, and may have a vital clue.

Mark

That's a big 10-4, Zark.

_(Cut to shot of primitive-looking village at night, with the G-Force vehicles parked nearby. Zark voice-over.)_

Zark (VO)

Sehera is not quite as developed as other Federation worlds, by choice. G-Force is here, at their capital city, to find out what they may know about the water thefts.

_(Interior shot of one hut. G-Force is seated at a table with a bearded, elderly man wearing a robe and dark hat.)_

Mark

Thank you for your hospitality, sir. We'd like to know if anyone has seen the water thieves.

_(Cut to shot of Mark and Keyop.)_

Keyop (punctuated by sounds)

More than meets the eye.

Mark

We don't know that, Keyop. Spectra may be stealing water out of desperation. We know that Spectra's resources are used up.

_(Cut to Princess)_

Princess

They could have just asked us for water. We'd have given it freely, without harming anyone.

_(Cut to Tiny)_

Tiny

Why ask when you can just take? That's Zoltar's way.

_(Cut to old man, puffing on his hookah. His dialogue continues over G-Force reaction shot to next close-up.)_

Elder

The boy is right. Spectra may not be after the water itself. There is more to Sehera than you suspect. I will tell you what I believe Zoltar wants, and why we live as we do.

_(Cut to Mark, who leans forward.)_

Mark

What do you mean, sir?

_(Cut to old man. Dialogue continues over reaction shots and a temple-like building housing a container of a red, sandy substance which is used in metalworking and other tasks. Then the red substance overflows its container and covers an outside chimney-like forge, then destroys a city and flows into the desert.)_

Elder

Centuries ago, we had a highly-advanced civilization on Sehera. We accomplished this using the red sand, a substance we could use to make anything we desired, from metals to bricks. We weren't content with that. We found more and more uses for it, adding to it and experimenting with it until catastrophe struck. The red sand overflowed and overtook our cities, destroying them completely. Then it flowed into the desert and disappeared. Our greed and waste had destroyed us. We resolved to live as simply as possible from then on.

[Heavily marked-out lines here. Tape on the back of the page, where the pen tore the paper. Something about anvils and morals.]

_(Back to long shot of table, with G-Force and the old man seated there.)_

_(Cut to Keyop)_

Keyop (with noises)

Where is red sand now?

_(Cut to old man)_

Elder

It is still out in the desert, hidden away. Only I know where it is.

_(Cut to Mark, who looks concerned.)_

Mark

Then you could be in ---

_(Cut to old man, who looks resigned.)_

Elder

I could be in danger from Spectra. I know.

_(Cut to Mark, still concerned.)_

Mark

You must let us help you protect the secret of the red sand.

_(Cut to old man)_

Elder

I have sworn to keep the secret, even if it costs me my life.

_(Shot of old man's skull necklace.)_

_(Cut to add-on animation of Zark at Center Neptune. First he faces us, then, as his dialogue continues, he starts poking at the console again.)_

Zark

The elder is certainly a brave man, but he should have let Mark and the others protect him. If Zoltar is after the red sand, he will surely send his men to the village. I'll take a look, and make certain the elder is safe.

_(Cut to shot of Keyop tiptoeing into the frame. He sees something, and ducks behind a tree. Zark voice-over.)_

Zark (VO)

Looks like Keyop is on the ball. But what is happening? Oh, my.

_(Cut to shot of old man in a dune buggy with two Spectra soldiers.)_

_(Cut to Keyop as he runs into the center of the frame.)_

Keyop (with sounds)

Old man. Captured.

_(Cut to shot of dune-buggy, then G4 vehicle. Close-up of old man and goon in dune buggy.)_

Elder

Where are you taking me?

_(Cut to Keyop's buggy, then to interior shot of buggy.)_

Keyop (with sounds)

Rescue old man.

_(Cut to shot of goons with old man as something disturbs the sand behind them. Then cut to Keyop's reaction.)_

Keyop (with sounds)

Monster!

_(Cut to long shot of beetle rising out of the sand, then to Keyop leaving his buggy, then to closer shot of goon shooting at something off-camera. As the old man is forced onto the beetle, he yanks off his skull medallion and throws it towards Keyop, who then picks it up.)_

_(Back in the hut, Mark holds the medallion as Tiny and Keyop watch.)_

Mark

He threw this to you?

Keyop (with noises)

Yes.

_(Cut to shot of Princess and Jason.)_

Princess

I wonder why? We know he was kidnapped.

_(Cut to Mark examining the medallion. Finally, he breaks it open, and red sand spills out. Reaction shots all around.)_

Mark

Red sand!

_(Cut to Center Neptune establishing shot. From there, cut to shot of conference room, where President Kane, Chief Anderson, and others sit around a circular table. Close-ups of whoever is speaking follow.)_

Kane

The report from G-Force and the analysis of the red sand put the water thefts on Sehera in a new light. Chief Anderson, what exactly _is_ that substance?

Anderson

It is not sand, but a molecule that acts like bacteria.

_(Reactions shots along the table as people murmur in surprise._)

_(Back to Anderson.)_

Anderson

Not only does this molecule mimic bacteria, it can be altered into almost any material we could desire. Zark analyzed it, and here are the results.

_(Cut to shot of large, television-like screen showing blobs with reddish areas inside. Occasional close-up of Anderson as he explains Zark's results.)_

[Annoyed note found scribbled in script: 'Look, this guy is in the original. What say we lose the robot and let him have his job back?']

Anderson

As you can see, the molecules even look like bacteria. Those red spots are the secret to its amazing capabilities.

_(Shot of conference table, attendees, and Anderson. Then back to Anderson C.O., followed by 'bacteria' shot during his lines.)_

Anderson

When we add water, we trigger the molecule's self-replicating abilities.

_(Another shot of the conference table, etc. Then back to Anderson.)_

Anderson

This is the most dangerous aspect of the molecule.

_(Another shot of the television screen, this time showing a candle being surrounded by the red sand. Explosions follow. Anderson voice-over, then C.O.)_

Anderson

Zark has not been able to discover why this should happen. He measured the explosions as 1000 times more powerful than the same amount of TNT. If Zoltar gets his hands on this, he would have not only a nearly unlimited supply of raw material, but fearsome weapons as well.

_(C.O. of Kane.)_

Kane

This is terrible.

_(C.O. of another delegate.)_

Delegate

Then they wanted the water to find this molecule.

_(Cut to Anderson.)_

Anderson

Correct. We cannot let Spectra have the red sand.

_(More bad add-on animation in the form of Zark. He's in the foreground, dead center of the screen.)_

Zark

The Spectrans have interrogated the old man this entire time, but he hasn't told them a thing. He knows that Spectra would only use the red sand for evil purposes.

_(Cut to a bizarre-looking captain in the right foreground of the shot. In the rear, on a communications screen, Zoltar's image forms.)_

Captain

Tell me about the sand!

Zoltar

No luck, yet? Force him to tell you.

_(Cut to shot of captain wielding a whip. We're going to pretend he's really frustrated and throwing a tantrum and that nobody is getting hurt. Voice actor should sound like a jerk-ass.)_

Captain

Where is the red sand? Where is it? Tell me! Tell me!

_(Zark. Facing us and telling us the obvious.)_ [Editor's note: a large number of blacked-out lines follow. What little survives gives a chilling look at the writer's mental state at this time.]

Zark

I have ordered G-Force to search for the Spectra base and to rescue the village elder. I do hope they arrive in time.

_(Cut to Jason and Princess in the desert, surrounded by dunes.)_

Jason

Hey, Prin.

Princess

Does this place seem suspicious to you?

Jason

I saw this place from a ways off, too. Thought I should look it over.

Princess

These look like the remains of one of the old cities we were told about.

Jason

More than likely. Once it was destroyed, the people moved away.

_(Jason and Princess approach an old tower.)_

Princess

We'll start our search there, right? It's in rather good shape for a ruin.

Jason

Yeah, Spectra likes to use other people's stuff without permission.

_(They climb the scaffolding and jump down the inside of the tower to land in a tunnel.)_

Princess

An underground roadway. That would let Spectra get around without being seen.

Jason

It would.

_(They hear rushing water and turn. Shot of water rushing down the tunnel into the foreground. Next shot, Jason and Princess leaping into the air just before the water reaches them. Then, a shot looking down at them clinging to the inside of the tower as the water rushes past below.)_

Jason

Where did all that water come from?

_(Jason reaction shot, as he looks down.)_

Jason

What is that?

_(Another downward-pointing shot, as the space beetle swims under water below Jason and Princess. Then another shot of Princess and Jason on the wall.)_

Princess

That's the beetle Keyop saw!

_(Zark voice-over for the next few scenes: Shot of Phoenix in flight, then control room shot. Space beetle emerging from the ground)_

Zark (VO)

Jason called Mark, who had Tiny fly over in the Phoenix to pick them up. They are following the direction the water flowed in. My sensors are picking something up. Oh, dear, it's the beetle spaceship! It's been hiding in the sand all this time.

_(Cut to Mark.)_

Mark

There it is!

_(Cut to shots of beetle burrowing back into the sand, then spewing water out to make a lake. Reaction shot of Mark.)_

Mark

So, that's how it works.

Zark (VO)

Spectra has been using the stolen water to find the red sand. Their space beetle sucks up the water and takes it to various places to make a lake. If the red sand is there, it will reproduce and reveal itself.

_(Cut to Phoenix interior. We replace Chief Anderson with Zark on the monitor.)_

[Another note in the margin: 'Lose the robot. Lose the robot.']

Zark

Well done, team! You found the space beetle.

[And this note: 'Oh, that line is so condescending. Must think of a new one.']

_(Cut to Mark in close up.)_

Mark

Fortunately, Spectra hasn't found the red sand, yet. We have to get into that base and rescue the old man before they make him talk. Thing is, the only entrance is too small for the Phoenix. We need some bombs to make it larger.

_(Cut to shot of helicopter coming in to lower bombs into the tower. Then shot of Phoenix interior as team watches. Zark V.O.)_

Zark (V.O.)

I've dispatched a unit of the local Galaxy Patrol to assist G-Force. The bombs they use are specially designed to cause as little damage as possible, so that no innocent bystanders are hurt.

_(Cut to shot of weird captain standing with whip in hand.)_

Captain

So, you still refuse to talk. Perhaps I should destroy your village.

_(Cut to shot showing old man sprawled on the floor, with the captain in the foreground and goons in the background. He struggles to rise._)

Elder

You don't dare!

_(Close-up of the captain.)_

Captain

Oh, but I do, old man. I will send the space beetle to your village. Your people will not have roofs over their heads when it finishes.

_(Close-up of old man, whose lips quiver.)_

_(Close-up of captain, as old man speaks.)_

Elder

It's in the cave under Cone Mountain.

_(Cut to shot of mountain.)_

Zark (V.O.)

I have Cone Mountain on my monitors. Doesn't look like much, does it, yet appearances can be deceiving.

_(Cut back to captain. As he speaks, the scene shakes, startling him.)_

Captain

Ready the space beetle. Spectra shall have the red sand before daybreak. Zoltar will be pleased. Wait, what's that noise!

_(Long shot as captain and soldiers start to panic. Then cut to the tower, which has just exploded. The Phoenix flies in, and along the tunnel to the base. It rams through the wall. Next shot is overhead view of the room, with goons in a half-circle in front of the Phoenix and the captain behind them, with Phoenix bow in the foreground. Then a close-up of the captain, pointing off-screen.)_

Captain

To the space beetle!

_(Mark and Jason launch from the Phoenix to the old man, who's lying on the floor. Cut to the captain, who fires his gun. Cut to the long shot of Mark, Jason, and the old man as Mark catches his fall. Jason shakes his fist.)_

Jason

Coward! Using a stun-gun on an old man!

_(Captain and goons flee. Next shot, Mark holds the old man in his arms as Jason, Princess and Keyop gather around.)_

Mark

He's just stunned. Sir, wake up.

Elder

Go to Cone Mountain. The red sand is there. Hurry.

_(Old man passes out.)_ [Note: 'Like hell he does, it's obvious he's dead, and all the kids will figure it out eventually.']

_(We have Zark voice-over as the Phoenix rises from the tower and streaks into the night.)_

Zark (V.O.)

Following the elder's directions, Tiny sets a course for Cone Mountain.

_(Footage of Cone Mountain, and then of the cave full of the red sand below it. Zark keeps talking.)_

Zark (V.O.)

The red sand is trapped in the cave, and can't go anywhere. Look at it churn. Oh, no, the space beetle has emerged in the middle of it and is burrowing to the surface! And now comes the water, which will make the red sand multiply. This is horrible!

_(Cut to captain, gloating.)_

Captain

At last, we have the red sand!

_(The Phoenix arrives at Cone Mountain just in time for the space beetle and the red sand to surface. G-Force reacts in horror.)_

All

Agh!

_(Shots of the mountain and sky, then the interior of the Phoenix, where Cone Mountain is on the viewscreen.)_

Tiny

That red sand is really growing!

_(Interior of space beetle. Goon and captain dialogue.)_

Soldier

The Phoenix has arrived!

Captain

Today, we settle things.

_(Battle between space beetle and Phoenix.)_

Mark

Fire a missile!

_(Missile hits, does not damage space beetle.)_

Mark

The missile didn't scratch it!

_(More combat.)_

Jason

You monster. Tiny, get close to it.

_(Missile doesn't work. More tag.)_

Keyop (with noises)

Indestructible! Now what?

Mark

We have no choice. We have to use the Fiery Phoenix.

Okay, everyone, Fiery Phoenix _now!_

_(Phoenix transforms and sets the red sand on fire, destroying the space beetle into the bargain.)_

Keyop (with noises)

All burned up!

Princess

It's too bad. Think of all the people who could have used the red sand to better themselves.

Jason

Yeah, and there would be Spectra, trying to steal it over and over again. If they got their hands on it, we'd never defeat them.

Tiny

In the end, the red sand took care of that space beetle. That was lucky.

Mark

It certainly was. And if it weren't for the old man, we might have been too late.

Zark (V.O.)

The red sand could have been used to the benefit of everyone, were it not for Spectra. It had to be destroyed to keep peaceful planets from falling into Zoltar's clutches.

_(Yes, we have Zark at Center Neptune, facing the audience.)_

Zark

I've just received word that the old man made a complete recovery from being stunned, and has returned to his village. He's very thankful to G-Force for rescuing him and saving his planet from Spectra.

[Editor's note: This script was never polished. Apparently, it was the last one ever written by Mr. Hack, and it was never delivered. No trace of Arthur Hack has been found.]


End file.
